#Paramedical Scholarship

[queenboimler]

i'm still baffled that hen went to med school and then....decided to stay a paramedic?

probably over 250,000 in student debt and for what 😭

[lgcderabassi]

Placement at LGC College

Congrats to Mr. Ankit on his impressive placement at Phifer. Your success inspires us all.

[mickeym4ndy]

A lil snippet of this fanfic where Yevgeny meets Ian for the first time as a teenager, after his friend is injured and Ian is the paramedic on duty. (Mickey moved states to be close to Yev & Svet right after getting out of prison and hasn’t seen Ian in 16 years).

————————

The red head’s eyes were darting around the hospital reception, like he was looking for something he wasn’t sure he wanted to find. Yevgeny eyed him suspiciously.

“What you still doing here, anyway? Didn’t think you guys stuck around after bringing people to the hospital.”

The paramedic’s - Ian, Yevgeny reminded himself - eyes widened. “Uh, yeah, I uh… I had some paperwork to fill out from another case,” he answered. Yevgeny nodded and turned away, planning to go see if he could get a snack from the vending machine. Before he could leave, though, Ian spoke again.

“Your friend okay?”

Yevgeny nodded. “Yeah. You were right. Broken ankle. He’ll be out for the rest of the school year but he should be able to play next year when the season starts up again.”

“Good. That’s good.”

At the thought of the next soccer season, Yevgeny’s stomach dropped. The school could easily kick them off the team for all this.

Ian’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Is uh… is your dad on his way? Is he coming to pick you up?” Something about the guy seemed nervous, but Yevgeny didn’t dwell on that for too long as thoughts of having to tell his parents he was kicked off the team filled his head. Yev shuddered at the thought. God, his parents were going to be so pissed.

“Shit. Yeah, he’s on his way. Should be here any minute.” Yevgeny’s eyes anxiously flickered towards the hospital doors, waiting for his dad’s surely explosive arrival.

His dad was a pretty fair parent, his mom being the stricter one. His dad scared other people, Yev knew that. But he didn’t scare Yevgeny. Underneath the tough exterior and tattoos, he was a nice dude who cared about his family more than anything.

But, Yevgeny knew he’d fucked up badly tonight. It would probably go on his permanent record, and if there was one thing his mom always enforced, it was the importance of not fucking up his future. Soccer was his chance at a college scholarship.

Plus, he had promised his dad he wouldn’t go along with any of Jackson’s stupid plans, but he did. And his dad fucking hated lying. Yevgeny never really lied to his dad. Honestly. He told his dad when he had his first kiss, his first beer. Even though all of his friends lied to their parents and said they were chilling at a friend’s house when they were going to parties, Yevgeny always actually told his dad the truth. Mickey had always told Yevgeny that he could tell him anything, call him at anytime if something happened, and he’d be there for him.

But Yevgeny hadn’t told him they were planning to sneak out of the hotel this time. So yeah, between lying and fighting with the other team to the point his friend landed in hospital, Yevgeny knew he was going to be in some deep shit once his dad arrived.

“You okay?” Yevgeny looked back at Ian. His dread must be pretty apparent on his face. His mom always said he was like his dad in that way, no fucking poker face. That and they pretty much had the same face.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m just, ah, realizing I’m probably gonna be grounded for the whole summer.”

Ian chuckled, but there was something dark behind his eyes. “Well, could be worse.”

And yeah, Yev knew that was true. His mom and dad never went into too much detail about their childhoods, but Yev gathered enough information about their pasts to know that the both of his parents got punishments a lot worse than a few months with no social life. Still, it was the summer before senior year, and he was bummed he was going to miss out on it because he was stupid enough to listen to fucking Jackson.

“You hungry? Have you eaten?” Ian pulled Yevgeny out of his thoughts.

“Was just gonna get something from the vending machine,” he answered.

Ian shook his head. “Wait here. The staff cafeteria is 24 hours. They know me there. I’ll go grab you something to keep you going until -“ Ian faltered. “Until, uh, your dad gets here.”

Yevgeny was quick to refuse. “No, no, that’s fine man, you don’t need to do that.” But Ian wasn’t having it.

“No, it’s fine. It’s late and you should eat.” He paused before he said, “besides, you’re 17. You shouldn’t be here alone. I’ll uh…” He turned and looked at Yevgeny, and Yev realized it was the first time since the conversation started that the guy was actually looking him in the eye. Ian’s face held the same haunted look he was wearing in the ambulance. “I’ll come back and wait with you until your dad gets here.”

Yevgeny went to protest because he’s not a fucking kid, damnit. But the red head was already half way down the hallway.

Yevgeny watched as the guy walked away. He didn’t really understand why the dude was doing all this for him, why he seemed so concerned about him. Surely he saw this sort of stuff all the time in his line of work. He especially didn’t understand why Ian looked at him like he’d seen a fucking ghost.

Yevgeny didn’t have too much time to dwell on it, though, because pretty soon he heard the familiar voice of his father come through the doors of the hospital.

“YEVGENY MILKOVICH!”

[unkat]

chilaios medical au idea i have been bouncing in my head (will not be written until after my current one is done)

i am thinking of a like firefighter/paramedic story for these guys. where laios is a new shift commander/chief at a small middle of nowhere station and chilchuck is a medic from a big city who keeps getting reassigned because he is trying to recruit for a union and the company is trying to make his job unworkable/find a reason to let him go.

laios was promoted because of his work ethic and ability to teach other people about the ins and outs of emergency medicine, not because he wanted to be in charge. he is too new and disinterested in the company politics to throw him under the bus for other people, and by the time someone explicitly says he needs to fire him, he has gotten attached.

"he's reliable, does good work, and catches things nobody else here would have. i know he cussed out the family trying to get into the rig, but he had already told them no and they should be grateful he saved their daughter instead of filing a complaint! even if i were to discipline, he deserves a verbal warning and not dismissal. You were not there, and i am his direct superior."

(wins the argument and walks away trying not to hyperventilate)

also falin is a surgeon and marcille is a research fellow who abandoned her big-city super-focused projects to come out into the country and work with subpar equipment and an incompetent assistant. im not thinking like full rural hospital here, but closeish to it. could be an academic satellite hospital and she switched from like gene therapy trials to studying exposures/population/histology stuff.

shifting the touden hyperfixation from monsters->medical fascination i think would still get across the same vibes. falin is very nice and pleasant but she treats everyone nicely and pleasantly without actually empathizing with them. shes one of those surgeons who went to shadow a heart transplant in college and cried because it was so beautiful and then got a bunch of scholarships plus student loans for med school.

laios hunts and has a big appreciation for the lives of things he kills and butchering/using everything he can. then it translates to him being fascinated by the human body as an object more than as a being that is different and special from other animals that he is a part of. he is a fantastic emergency responder because of this- people are a pile of flesh that is broken somewhere, and he wants to figure out why. (this is something that I'm like. not sure if it is okay for me to include because it can be squicky/triggering. but i feel like when I'm unsure if I'm going too far that is when i am reaching the line i want to?)

the touden siblings still go hiking and mudding and spend their time off in the woods (marcille wears white shorts and sandels on a hike leaving laios to be very explicit and offering clothes to chilchuck when he offers him to join. chilchuck borrows his shirt and it is way too big, but he keeps it for a while.)

chilchuck is extra divorced. he facetimes with the girls a couple of times a week and gets them on rotating holidays. sometimes ex-mrs. tims invites him over for dinner because she feels sorry for him and her new boyfriend is also there. it's awkward but they both know he's harmless, just annoying and closed off. he smokes but has tried to quit 7-8 times. started when he was an emt and couldn't shake it because it helped him destress. he only knows how to drive well enough to pass his vehicle license renewals and still doesn't know what the buttons in his car do. the ac has been "broken" for a week before a station mechanic pushes the button to turn it back on (they should put a subway around here, stupid cars).

laios respects his experience and history of being at a constantly busy station that saw a variety of crazy shit. chilchuck initially resents him for being so out of touch, but grows to respect his leadership abilities. laios also always follows up on cases at the hospital to figure out the outcome and reflect on best practices.

he is the first person to get chilchuck to actually debrief after a shitty call and chil cries and never wants to talk about it again. but its like a seal in a dam has been breached, and opens up when they are cuddling on the couch. they spend more time off shift with each other. chilchuck crashes on laios' couch and initially feels like he needs excuses to do it until laios says he really likes talking with him and having him there. he tells him about the company's EAP coverage and that he encourages everyone to take advantage of it.

in the end, they hit that threshold of basically living together, and one of them would need to change their station (superior/employee romance) after they go from making out off shift in secret to seriously considering having laios meet his daughters in person. (they already think they're married because laios is always there when they call now)

[wildlife4life]

Fuck-It Friday

Tagged by the super duper amazing @jesuisici33 @devirnis (dropped a super cute fic) @hippolotamus @exhuastedpigeon @lover-of-mine @spotsandsocks @wikiangela @aroeddiediaz @cal-daisies-and-briars @fortheloveofbuddie @giddyupbuck @tizniz @daffi-990 and @diazsdimples (who dropped a whole ass fic, check it out!) Thank you all so much and I'm very intrigued and excited for all your fics!

More NFL Buck, what else? Here is a bit from when Buck and Eddie first met, featuring Tommy Vega, a buddie shipper. (All things NFL Buck can be found here)

Later, when Eddie was pulling a pen out of his front left breast pocket to sign for his allocated meal from the stadium, a folded neon orange notecard fell out.  Tommy noticed it first and snatched the card up before Eddie could even register what had happen. “Thought you said nothing happened Diaz?” She unfolded the bright paper, “So you got that boys digits? And address?” “He-I- “, Buck was a sneaky son of a bitch and apparently had some very nimble fingers. Eddie blew out an exasperated breath, “He asked me to meet him after the game. Early dinner I guess, but I didn’t agree to anything, and he must have slipped that in my pocket when- “ “When he was feeling you up?” The paramedic captain snorted out a small laugh, then sobered, “You should go.” Eddie shook his head, “No, I can’t. I need to relieve the sitter, and Buckley is just your typical leather head. Probably wants to experiment or something and I’m not- “, He stopped there because ever since Evan graced Eddie with his sunshine bright smile, he’s been questioning a major (very repressed) part of himself. Within the two weeks that have passed, Eddie has managed to barley admit to himself in the quiet recesses of his mind, that he might not be straight.  Meeting up with the very person that tilted his entire world in less than hour, meant confronting that internal struggle head on. Tommy entire demeanor mollified, and a look of sympathetic understanding softened her features, “I’ve been working these games for a long while Eddie. Been around a lot of players, including Evan Buckley. From what I’ve heard, he got around when he first got here, girls only though.  Almost got kicked off the team and lost his scholarship, was given a second chance and he almost blew that too.” “He’s still here, so what changed?” Eddie asked.

What indeed changed? That will not be revealed until the fic is published. I love marrying cannon events with this au, like with Buck's history. Repressed Eddie is fun to make squirm too lol. Hope you all enjoyed!

Tagging (no pressure): @rainbow-nerdss @loserdiaz @thewolvesof1998 @theotherbuckley @try-set-me-on-fire @disasterbuckdiaz @bekkachaos @eddiescowboy @eddiebabygirldiaz @spaceprincessem @athenagranted @evanbegins @elvensorceress @malewifediaz @911onabc @911-on-abc @hoodie-buck @ladydorian05 @bigfootsmom @watchyourbuck @thekristen999 @spagheddiediaz @monsterrae1 @rogerzsteven @honestlydarkprincess @bitchfacediaz @buck-coded @housewifebuck @glorious-spoon @buddierights @prosperdemeter2 @lemonzestywrites @gayedmundodiaz @transboybuckley

[nyastri]

Hi I would like to hear about Four, Legend and Hyrule in your modern au (You don't have to do all 3 if you don't want to)

I'd love to!

Four is 16 and an AP honor student. He has a scholarship to university and will major in engineering after he graduates high school. Four knows how to weld since Grandpa Smith taught him when he was young. Since his grandpa is now getting weaker with age, Four helps him in his welding job whenever possible.

Legend is 18, he's in college and majoring in history and language studies. He currently has a job as a part-time translator, but has worked a ton of odd jobs ever since he was 14 in order to help the family with money. He's had so many jobs and worked in so many different fields that he earned the joking nickname of "veteran".

Hyrule is also 18, he's in medical school and training to become a paramedic. He currently works as a part-time park ranger (and has gotten lost many times). He has hemophilia, and although it's very mild and not life threatening, he hates having to deal with all the bleeding so he's very careful not to cut/scrape himself.

[awlumii]

# — pairing: (barista)spidey!kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, spider-man (kazuha), barista!kazuha (briefly), beidou, chongyun, barbara, shinobu (mentioned)

# — warnings: mentions of minor character death

# — summary: happy birthday, dear spider-man~ 🎶

# — tags: fluff, brief angst, hurt/comfort(-ish), yes there's kisses involved who do you think i am

# — notes: here it is! a birthday fic for my special boy on his special day 🥺 i took a couple hours out of yesterday to churn this one out, and i want to thank @the-travelling-witch @catcze @kazeyu and @kazu-sun for reading this ahead of time to both give me advice and boost my confidence! i love you guys vvv much and i couldn't have posted this without your help 💕 like always, reblogs and reactions are greatly appreciated, and i hope you enjoy!

wanna join the tag list?

✦ — 🕷 + 🍁 — ✦

Silence is a privilege. You learned this very early on. To be silent, to bask in the stillness of a room, is a privilege not often awarded to people like you. You’re an energizer; a people chaser. You seek chaos and the wreckage that comes with it all so you can find something to fix within it. People flee from crime scenes and accidents, but you invite them. Of course you have to be careful when taking pride in a fact like that -- it’s not like you want people to get hurt, but how else would you be able to pursue your passion?

From the time you were young, you sought to help others in their greatest times of need. You were the first to help an injured kid to their parents when they got hurt on the playground and the first to dial the paramedics during a freak accident; you were the first to drop some sneaky medical facts on your teachers in your high school biology courses and the first to volunteer to dissect something for your lab courses. “The Good Samaritan”, your peers called you. “Our school’s very own guardian angel.” So it came as a surprise to no one that you got a full ride scholarship to the best university in the city with acceptance into their competitive medical program. You dove headfirst into your studies immediately after your high school graduation in hopes of getting ahead of the program when orientation started.

It’s hard for you to say anything bad about the whole thing, really. But if you had to conjure up a single complaint, it’s that your field is so noisy. The beeping of the pagers, the crackle of overhead intercoms, the rushed medical jargon falling from fellow doctor’s lips like waterfalls, the groans and cries of agonized patients and distressed families. There’s no time for peace. You regret it at times -- being as wound up as you are 24/7 is bound to take a toll on your health one day -- but the pros outweigh the cons most of the time. Besides, you tell yourself, you’re not a resident just yet; you can have peace and quiet at home at the end of the day, right? Right.

As of late, however, you’ve been wrong. Peace and quiet is nothing but a dream to you now and it’s all thanks to the city’s “beloved” vigilante.

Standing at the taller end of five feet (he’ll never give you an exact number), Spider-Man has become the sole reason why you can only hope and pray to the powers that be for a night of pure silence. He doesn’t swing by every night (thank the stars), but he’s in your apartment, lying half-dead on your carpet on most days which is enough to make you want to start pulling out your hair. You’d think that a man with enough flesh wounds to kill a normal person twice over would be silent as he gets treated, but no, he somehow manages to weave bizarre topics out of thin air whenever he’s with you. It doesn’t help that he’s incredibly smart, smarter than he likes to let on, and snarky, too. Sometimes, you want to take off the mask that he wears, ball it up, and shove it in his mouth.

..Oh, but who are you kidding? Annoying as he might be, you’ve got a thing for the man, even if you don’t know who he is. He’ll drop by during the daytime whenever he sees you alone and sometimes, he’ll even give you things that he picked up during his little patrols -- plushies from outside vendors, wildflowers from the park… Once, he gave you a freshly clipped rose from a florist that was doing handouts not too far from where you were seated. The truth is that you like him and sometimes, you wonder if he likes you, too. It’d be complicated thanks to your existing crush on the cute barista of the cafe that you frequent, but it’d be a nice change of pace.

(Ah, love. Yet another noisy thing that you’re not quite sure you want to actually let into your life.)

Speaking of a change of pace, tonight is a quiet one. You’re not quite sure if that’s a good thing yet. You’ve heard sirens in various spots around your apartment, but each one died down within twenty minutes. You took that as a sign that Spider-Man’s been swinging here and there, which means that he’s bound to drop by sometime soon. So, rather than let your guard down, you decided to stand on your balcony with a comfy sweater pulled over your head. The night air is crisp and cool, albeit a bit stuffy from all the cars zipping about. When you exhale, you can see your breath coming out in puffs of white smoke. It’s nice -- the chill keeps you alert.

You let your mind wander while you wait for your patient to arrive. Embarrassingly enough, the first thing your thoughts drift to is the barista that you saw this morning. Kazuha’s always so upbeat during the day, even more so when he sees you (a fact that does very little to quell the excited thrumming in your veins whenever you see his face). He looked a little more tired today than he does normally -- when asked if he was okay, he merely told you not to worry too much about him. You’d agreed so as to not overwhelm him, but that didn’t stop you from stealing glances the entire time you were there. He caught you at some point and gave you a wink -- just thinking about it sends your stomach aflutter. It would be terrible if something was wrong with him, you think. Would you be able to help him?

You don’t get to think about it much more as a figure sailing through the air catches your eye. Spider-Man is so easy to spot, even in the darkness above the streetlights. You tense, somewhat hoping he doesn’t spot you. If he doesn’t, you could maybe get around to fantasizing about Kazuha a little more. Unfortunately for you and your potential fantasies, he does; Spider-Man changes course right before your eyes and lands on your balcony railing. He doesn’t lose balance once, instead remaining in a steady crouching position with ease. He really is something to behold.

You stretch languidly, relishing in the way your bones pop. “Alright,” you say as you turn towards your balcony door, “where’s it hurt this time?”

To your surprise and immediate concern, Spider-Man doesn’t speak right away. He adjusts himself so that he’s sitting on your railing instead, with one leg pulled up to his chest and the other dangling towards the floor. “No injuries tonight, doc’.” He rests his cheek on his knee and turns his head to face you. “I just wanted to see you. Is that okay?”

If it were a few months prior, you would’ve said no. Now, the very thought of turning him away causes needles to press at your chest. You close your balcony door and head back over, resting your arms on the railing beside him. “Of course.”

Spider-Man must hear something in your voice that you don’t, because he shakes his head slightly. “You can say no, lovebug. I don’t want to bother you.”

“If you were bothering me, I would’ve told you to leave.” You frown at him. There’s negativity rolling off of him in waves. That’s not like him at all. “Are you okay?”

“I…” He reaches for the back of his neck before pausing. He lets his arm drop. Was he about to--? “I don’t know.”

You nudge him gently with your shoulder. Go on, you say silently. What’s up?

Spider-Man picks up on your invitation and sighs. “Do you… like your birthday, by any chance?”

“Me?” You tilt your head curiously. “I guess so. Why?”

“I guess I’m really not normal.” He turns his head, looking past you and into your apartment. “I don’t like mine at all.”

You connect the dots rather quickly. You’d feign excitement, but clearly, doing so would do nothing. If anything, it might make things awkward. “Is… today your birthday, Spider-Man?” When he nods, you make a small humming noise. “Would me saying ‘happy birthday’ cheer you up, or..?”

“If it’s you,” he says, his voice soft, “then yes, probably.” You don’t say it right away. You hesitate because of his tone, but he takes the opportunity to keep speaking. “I lost someone important to me a few years ago today.” He inhales sharply. “And a few more in the years prior. Today’s more of a day of mourning than anything else.”

Your heart shatters. You wonder if he knows how small he sounds. “I--”

“They say you shouldn’t spend your birthday alone,” he continues, “so I decided to stop by. You’re all I have left, lovebug.” You can hear the fake smile in his voice when he speaks again. “You’re going to have a hard time getting me off your back. Sorry.”

You don’t know what to say. The silence lingers and all that can be heard is the sound of cars rolling by on the street below. A car horn blares every so often at the light nearby, but you still remain quiet.

Is that why he always comes back? Because really and truly, he has no one else in his life? You can’t say the same for yourself -- you have Kazuha to keep your heart and mind occupied during your down time; you have Beidou, Hu Tao, and Chongyun to keep you busy at school; you have Barbara and Shinobu to keep you on your toes at work. You have friends, people to fall back on. But Spider-Man… doesn’t. And it’s not like you can just introduce him to your friends, either.

To think that you’ve been complaining about him when all he’s been doing is spending time with the only person who gives him the proper time of day.

The guilt that seizes you makes you hiss softly. What do you do now? You’ve had tender and serious moments with Spider-Man before, but this is too different. Do you apologize for being an asshole? What good would that even do? Do you make a gift for him on the spot? No; that might make him feel worse…

“I’m grateful for you.” Spider-Man’s voice cuts your thoughts short. “I really am. I’m sorry for dragging you into my mess. I hope you can forgive me.”

“If I… didn’t want to be involved,” you manage, “I would have told you to stay away a long time ago. Don’t apologize; I want to be by your side.”

Again, you hear a sharp intake of breath. “That’s--”

“Dangerous? Stupid? Yeah, I’m aware. But since I’ve never told you this out loud before, you’re my friend, Spider-Man.” You rest a hand on top of his without looking him in the eye. “Whether you knew that or not, we’re friends.” It feels weird to say, but you mean every word. Of course, friends don’t think about unmasking each other and kissing them every once in a while, but you’re not going to dwell on that. Your face starts to burn. “I wouldn’t want to be rid of you at all.” You say honestly.

Spider-Man moves his hand so that he’s holding yours. “...I appreciate it.” He says after a brief pause.

And once again, there is silence. It’s one that you can bask in, you find, especially when Spider-Man’s grip on your hand tightens. His presence is comforting, and only now do you realize that he thinks the same of you. The city marches on below your balcony, everyone encased in the same chilly autumn breeze that causes rigid goosebumps to rise on your skin. It’s nice, this silence. Is this the stillness that you’ve been missing out on because of Spider-Man? What are the odds that you’d finally be able to enjoy it with him?

You shudder and sneeze suddenly, shocking the both of you. Spider-Man jolts but eases into a laugh. “Are you cold?” He asks.

You sniff and tug the hood of your sweater up over your head. “No,” you grumble. “You’re cold. I’m just peachy.”

Spider-Man hops down and leads you inside, his fingers still intertwined with yours. “You’re a horrible liar,” he jokes. Once you’re inside, he stands in the threshold and laughs again. “You’re shaking.”

“Why couldn’t your birthday be during the summer or something?” You whine and make yourself small in your sweater. “It’s fucking cold outside.”

“What can I say, I like the fall more.”

“Whatever.” You ball your hands into fists inside your sweater pockets. “You’re not coming inside?”

Spider-Man shakes his head. “Something could still happen. I’m going to head back out.”

An idea comes to mind. It’s a stupid idea, a really, really, really stupid idea, but it's an idea nonetheless. You don't have much in the way of material goods to give him -- it'd be a cold day in hell before you coughed up one of your expensive medical supplies (as if he had any use for those with his speedy healing) -- and despite knowing him for as long as you have, he has yet to give any real hints as to what it is he likes. When you think about it, you realize that Spider-Man's been super careful as to not give you any kind of clues as to what kind of person he is without the mask. All of his likes and dislikes are a complete mystery to you, unfortunately.

Well, almost all of them. He's told you time and time again that he likes this one thing — one person.

“B-Before you do,” you stammer, “what’re your thoughts on birthday gifts?”

You can practically feel the confused look he gives you. “Why?”

Rather than let the embarrassment consume you, you let your body move on its own accord. You walk closer to him and place your hands on either side of his face. “Stay still.” You whisper. Without waiting for his question, you lean forward and place a kiss on his lips right over his mask. You can feel them just beneath the cloth and hear the noise of surprise that he makes, but you don’t let it stop you. You stay there for just a moment longer before pulling away. Your face heats up to an impossible degree and you keep your head turned away to avoid further humiliation. Spider-Man is completely quiet, likely with shock, and it makes you want to bury your head in a hole. He's told you before how much he likes you; even if he was joking, he's said it too many times for you to consider it as just a joke. A kiss should suffice as a gift, right? “Happy birthday," you mutter. “Now go--”

Before you finish speaking, a gloved hand comes over your eyes. You start to question what the hell he’s doing, but a pair of uncovered lips cover your own, silencing your protests. You melt into the kiss after a brief moment of shock and Spider-Man pulls you in closer with his free hand. Closer, closer, and closer still. He kisses you like you're something gentle, fragile, prone to break at any moment. And yet he tilts his head and nips at your bottom lip, kissing you deeply, like you mean something to him.

Friends don't kiss like this.

You can’t think. You can’t move. It’s just you and your masked vigilante and the sound of sirens outside.

The sound is what causes Spider-Man to pull away after a while. He doesn’t uncover your eyes right away and you hear fabric moving -- likely him fixing his mask. When he moves his hand, your vision feels hazy and your throat tight. You stand there in limbo, the two of you just staring at each other. You tug on the strings of your hoodie gently. “You should, um… you should get going.”

You wonder how he’s looking at you right now. Spider-Man clears his throat. “I… Yeah. You’re right.” He starts to reach for you, but he drops his hand and balls it into a fist by his side. “Will I… see you tomorrow?”

It’s a hesitant question -- a request, if not anything else. Am I allowed to see you tomorrow? You nod without hesitation. Who are you to refuse him? “Yeah.”

Spider-Man’s shoulders drop with relief. “Okay. Then…” He walks backwards onto your balcony and raises two fingers in his usual salute. “...Thank you for the birthday gift.” And with a push backwards, he tumbles off of your balcony and zips into the biting autumn night, leaving you in your living room.

You walk forward and close the door to your balcony. You turn your eyes to the clock on the wall. 12:00 AM, it reads. It’s October 30th. Your kiss was the last and only gift he'd received yesterday.

✦ happy happy happy birthday, kazuha.. i hope he enjoys his day with his new family 🥺💕💗

✦ i'll make an origins post about spidey!kazuha someday, hehe

[l0stfoster]

YAPPING FOR A SEC IGNORE ME

This is lowkey just a little rant (outsiders mention included) because I'm going to explode lmao. I might delete this later I just need it off my chest I find the irony of how I went from relating to Ponyboy to instead relating to Darry so. Interesting. Especially now that college is up and coming and I'm,, not going. Not only can I not afford to go for what I'm passionate about (Illustration or Animation) without literally shooting myself in the foot for the future, but college is pretty much my only way to get out of my small town. People ARE usually stuck here for their entire lives, my parents and my wife's parents grew up here and will probably die here; my siblings all found their ways out-- one through the army and the other because she took the leap, went to college for what she was into, and found a way,, but I can't. Financial instability is something I've always been terrified of, especially as an artist who was raised to feel that way. My siblings don't think that way because they grew to break free from our parent's thoughts on finances, but I do; so taking the leap toward college and throwing myself into debt for life is not an option. Scholarships won't do shit bc I didn't have good enough grades for that, and I'm not where I need to BE as an artist to get a job with that.

My decision to not go to college is my own, but it’s not one I wanted to pick; and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over that. I’m looking into being a paramedic or an EMT because it's financially stable, but it’s not what I want to be. My dreams are just dreams, and I can't really change that.

[pashfoxx]

I can't get this idea of the Marauders x Spider-Man out of my head, so I started writing a bit about the background of each of the Marauders in this AU.

So in this AU, Hogwarts is like Brooklyn Visions Academy, the only difference being that it's located in London and the students are still divided into houses, but it's more like which dormitory sector you belong to and, ultimately, they're not taken as seriously as in canon.

Peter: He's an only child, his father is a paramedic and his mother is a nurse. Due to his parents' shifts, he's somewhat used to taking care of himself. He attends Hogwarts on a scholarship, although he always struggles to maintain good grades and not lose the scholarship. He suffers quite a bit when it comes to balancing his grades and his life as Spider-Man. He's quite close to his parents and his father's death really affected him a lot. After this, he became quite close to Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, often turning to them for advice. He's a bit afraid of Professor McGonagall.

James: Like Peter, he's an only child and his parents are quite old. Because of that, he's quite spoiled, but he adores his parents, and woe to the person who insults either of them because James Potter isn't afraid to hit someone. He's the captain of the Hogwarts hockey team. His family is extremely wealthy, so he's always attended private schools and has no problem spending money on gifts for his friends. He's Professor McGonagall's favorite, as he's the best student in his class and has ensured that Hogwarts hasn't lost a match in the last two years.

Remus: Like the other two, he's an only child. I didn't want to completely ignore Remus's lycanthropy, so I decided to make him a mutant. He can control the transformation, but it's quite difficult for him to do so during full moon nights, so he simply opts to spend them as a wolf. He still has scars, but they're from when he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback (who is also a mutant in this AU). Remus managed to defend himself, and that's when he discovered he was a mutant. Lyall Lupin has made a great effort to change his beliefs about mutants since discovering his son was one. Now he and Remus are quite close. Likewise, Remus couldn't ask for a better mother than Hope Lupin. Like Peter, he has a scholarship, and thanks to it, his family can afford to send him to a school like Hogwarts, as Lyall Lupin is a police officer and Hope Lupin works in a bookstore, so they don't have money to spare like James and Sirius.

Sirius: He's a special case. Like in canon, he didn't have a good relationship with his family. For that reason, he likes attending Hogwarts because it allows him to be away from his family for much of the year. Initially, when he and Regulus started attending Hogwarts, they were quite close, but they started to drift apart over the years. Finally, when he turned 15 (about 6 months after Peter became Spider-Man), he ran away from home and lived with the Potters for a while until his uncle Alphard Black managed to become his legal guardian. Sirius goes to therapy once a week, but he's managing quite well. Alphard is also trying to get custody of Regulus, but it's not easy, as the Black family is quite wealthy and probably has the best lawyers in England.

[emiliotheemu]

𖤓 DOA, dead on arrival. ❀

⚠️TW: BLOOD, DEATH, FEAR, ANGST, ETC.⚠️THIS IS MY FIC!!! This is a modern A+H college AU and their names are slightly different. (BTW this is gay 🏳️‍🌈😍💅✨️) The fanfic was slightly inspired by this fanart that I found on Pinterest. I think this is the original watermark/signature of the artist.

Good luck!

The day was slow at the infirmary. All day. There were one or two patients. But, otherwise, pretty empty. Will sighed and sat at the reception desk, the true crime podcast in his ears entertaining him. Soon, the end of the episode came and he fast forwarded to the next one. He looked at the title. "The track and feild tragedy at Sunnyside University."

Will didn't think anything of it, so he just sat down and did the last of his paperwork while listening to it. The person on the podcast did their introduction and the small backstory of the case.

"Hello, true crime lovers. Today, it is a sort of mystery. This takes place at Sunnyside University. The year was 1982..."

And so on. Soon, they got to the people involved in the crime.

"Soren Apollus was a junior in college, one of the top of his class. He got in with a musical scholarship and was one of the best track and field players. He majored in Medical Sciences and minored in Music and Arts. He did discus, javelin and hurdles in track and field."

Will raised an eyebrow and whispered. "Weird..." He kept doing the paperwork, chewing on the end of the pen he was using.

"Next is his lover, Quince Hyathus. He was a sophomore in college, an average student. He got into Sunnyside U with a sports scholarship, the best sprinter and long-distance runner on the track and field team. He majored in Botany and minored in biology. He did, as I previously said, long-distance running for the Sunnyside University track and field team."

Will pushed back off of the desk, spinning slightly in his chair and leaning back, chewing on his pen thoughtfully. "Now, that's even more strange..."

Then the podcast continued. "One day, there was a meet for the T + F team. Quince had just finished his sprint and wasn't paying attention and he was walking past his lover, Soren, when the tragedy struck. Soren was so focused on throwing it correctly that he didn't see Quince. As Quince was walking past, the discus hit him right on the side of his head."

Will took a deep breath through his teeth. "Oh, shit..."

"Soren screamed his love's name and ran over, yelling something along the lines of 'Call 911! Anyone! Please!' As he sobbed, holding his dear boyfriend in his arms. He started whispering to Quince what could only be thought of as confessions of love, poetry, or just telling him to stay with him."

Will groaned, leaning his head back. "Fuck, this... jesus... fucking christ."

"Soren later told the court and doctors/paramedics what he had noted from his medical student lense. He had seen that there would be possible brain damage and most likely a broken or fractured neck. His eye socket was either broken or fractured, as well as his skull. He was unconscious, a very slow pulse. Blood was flowing out of his head so much that Soren's hands and some of his shorts and shirt were, too. There were more details shared, but they were horrid."

"Soon, paramedics arrived and rushed Quince with them. Soren hopped in the ambulance and held Quince's hand, putting on a brave face. Since Quince was unconscious, Soren was pleading for forgivenessto a body who could not hear it. He sobbed over Quince the entire ride."

Will paused it. "Oh, my gods." Will took a sip of the tea he had on the desk, taking a few deep breaths. A few minutes later, he unpaused it.

"The rest of the ride went like that as the paramedics tried their hardest to help Quince. As they rushed into the hospital, Soren was forced to stay outside of the operation room and sat on a chair in the waiting room, hanging his head in his hands and sobbing. He was rocking slightly back and forth, whispering how much he loved Quince and how bad he felt."

Will took another deep breath, bracing himself for what he only knew was complete, utter, horrid news.

"Soon, a doctor came out and handed Soren some tissues. 'Hello, Mr. Apollus. I apologize for the words that I am about to speak.' The doctor confessed. 'I am sorry to inform you, we tried. But, he came DOA. Dead on arrival.' Soren sobbed harder. His love, his life, gone. 'N-no! Th-this can't happen!!' He yelled at the doctor."

Will slammed his fist on the desk.

"And here is the original recording of the call that the paramedics got..."

As the audio played, Will groaned. A minute or two later, the podcast continued.

"Soren stayed at the hospital for a while, sobbing the entire time. Later on, he was on trial for accidental manslaughter. Here's where the mystery comes in. Some of the other competitors said they overheard Tristan Zephyr planning to sabotage Apollo in some way. Wether luring Quince to walk across the discus field, or making the discus heavier, possibly both. No one knows, as Tristan disappeared as soon as Soren went to court. As Soren was trialed and found guilty, he was told he would have at least fifteen to twenty-one months in prison. But the next day, he was gone as well. Wiped clean off of the face of the earth. Off the grid, no where. Not on the school paperwork, his dorm empty, everything. Some things were taken from Quince's room as well."

After that, Will paused it and took out his ear buds. "Well, I know what that is."

I literally have no idea how to end fanfic. I hope that was good! Tell me if I spelt anything wrong or called Soren, Quince or Quince, Soren.

[charmedtodeath]

These Traps We Fall Into | Robert Stahl/fem character (Part 1)

Summary: Agent Stahl is working on a case investigating corruption in the NYPD when he discovers his asset has more to offer than just intel and evidence. (Third person POV)

TW/CW: stalking, obsession, obsessive behavior, abuse of authority, abuse of power, possessive behavior, inappropriate behavior, general creepiness, age gap

a/n: Hello, fellow Warren Kole enjoyers. I didn’t want this to be Shades of Blue 2.0 so in place of Harlee, the detective character is a man with an unnamed adult daughter. Third person despite being a reader insert because it’s easier to tell the story that way and a lot of people hate first person POV lol. Loosely inspired by an idea sent to @rors-grvs

Read on AO3

Part 2

Special Agent Stahl has never been the type of person to just let things go. Winning and being right are the most important things to him, and he'll stop at almost nothing to get what he wants. He craves control and power, among other things. What he didn't expect during his most recent investigation on corruption in the NYPD was how much he ended up craving her.

Stahl, of course, had profiled her detective father and knew almost everything there was to know about him: where he lived, what kind of car he drove, where he stopped for coffee in the morning, and all about the racketeering and corruption he was about to be arrested for. His daughter, on the other hand, only thought of her dad as a morally upright man who'd sworn to protect and serve, and had no idea about the payoffs he was taking. He was just one of New York's finest. Dear old dad was simply making the community a better place and it showed, according to the improved crime statistics in Brooklyn.

So when her dad suddenly began having to work on more cases than usual and was acting strange, she chalked it up to coincidence. New York City was always a busy place and there's no rest for the wicked. She herself was too swamped to really pry into him and figure out what was going on, and she felt like a bad daughter for not trying harder.

After all, emotionally supporting him was the least she could do while he was letting her stay with him, rent free. Medical school isn't going to be cheap and scholarships and grants won't cover everything. She's been spending nearly all her available time picking up extra ambulance shifts to save as much money as possible in an attempt to avoid drowning in debt later down the road.

As much as she wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a detective like him someday, she took after her mother instead. They had been a stereotypical couple; a cop falling in love with an emergency room nurse. After a couple of kids and a divorce resulting in her younger brother preferring to live with their mom and stepfather, she stayed in NYC with Pops.

Medicine seemed like a more promising career, anyway, with a lower likelihood of getting hurt on the job. On the advice of her pre-med academic advisor, she had picked up a job soon after turning 18 as an EMT for the FDNY to get a taste of emergency medicine. She loved the adrenaline rush and the chance to help people at their worst. Eventually, she was able to complete the steps to become a paramedic the year before finishing her undergrad degree in biology. The acceptance to four different schools soon came along and she'd be starting at NYU this coming fall. She loved the energy of the city and didn't want to give it up for more rural locations. There was simply no better place to live and breathe the intensities of emergency care.

All in all, it was really the perfect situation- she got to move back in with her father and save thousands on rent, work was close by, and it would still be a few months before she had to start commuting to Manhattan for school. That being said, things had changed by the end of May. Her dad was suddenly working insane hours and she'd usually end up eating dinner alone, sometimes not running into him again until the following morning. Seeing him abruptly run down and anxious sparked her worry and she decided to catch him at breakfast to investigate after a week of his strange behavior.

"Is everything okay at work, Dad? I haven't seen you around much this week."

"Oh, there's no need to worry about me, kid. Just have a lot going on with an extra heavy caseload, that's all." It wasn't unrealistic for him to have a thick stack of case files to get through, but it had been relatively quiet in Brooklyn for the past few months. The uptick in activity has been worrying her.

"If you say so. Just so you know, I'm gonna be back super late tonight. Running a double today."

"Don't hurt yourself working too hard. I love you."

"Love you, too. Maybe you should take your own advice, though. I'll see you later." Without another word, she slides on her work boots before leaving the apartment, and she swears she hears him sigh in relief once she's halfway through the door.

It seems like everyone in Brooklyn decided that today was the day they absolutely needed to go to the hospital. There were nonstop ambulance runs all morning and afternoon, and she and her partner barely had time to go back to their base location in between runs. So much for catching up on podcast episodes.

By the time she gets back home, it is well after midnight and all she wants to do is shower off the sweat and grime before collapsing in bed. Luckily, she's on second shift next so she would be able to sleep in. If she had been more awake and alert, maybe she'd have noticed the contents of her dresser being slightly askew, or her hair brush a few centimeters to the left of its usual spot. Her father had taught her to always be alert and observant, but pure exhaustion made her overlook the fine details.

In fact, she had become so hyperfocused on work and training a new EMT for the past few days that she had failed to notice she was being tailed. Nobody would have questioned a man in a suit with a badge at the scene of a shooting. If she had seen him, she would have assumed he was just another detective milling about while she treated victims and sent away anyone who needed to be transported to the hospital. The following day, she paid no attention to the same man watching her in the freezer section of the grocery store on her way home.

She had learned to be vigilant about more traditional threats in the city- people walking a little too closely behind her at night, creepy onlookers who were overly fascinated by female paramedics and tried to flirt while she was working, or intoxicated patients that harassed and tried to hurt her in the back of the ambulance. These kinds of threats felt more real because she could see, hear, and sometimes smell them.

All the years of training and learning to defend her personal space and emotional boundaries were worth nothing compared to someone who picked apart people for a living. Her father and his Street Crimes Unit had been under surveillance for weeks before he was ever arrested, and she was simply an afterthought to most people working on the case. Daughter, age 23, lives with surveillance subject in Brooklyn is what they'd note about her before moving on to the next part of the profile. Robert Stahl is not most people.

At first, he was only interested in taking down her father's corrupt lieutenant and trying to link him directly to the laundered payoff money. But as soon as Stahl laid eyes on her, he knew this detective was the one he'd be picking up and offering an immunity deal to in exchange for becoming an FBI informant. Her dad was very careful to hide all of this from her, not wanting to add any more undue stress in her life when she was about to start medical school. Stahl was careful to hide his tracks as well, making sure she didn't spot him while he was watching her and not stealing anything each time he broke into their apartment. He would look, he would touch, but he wouldn't take.

She had become a personal project to him, a bonus that came along while he was working on a real investigation. It took only weeks for his obsession to grow and fester into something so powerful that he swore he'd do anything to protect her. If her father didn't hold up his end of the bargain and ended up in prison, Stahl would ensure she was taken care of. He could give her a better home and a better life than her father was capable of.

When things began to fall apart for the detective and he was spending more and more time away from home, Stahl was able to sneak into their apartment as often as he wanted. With a GPS tracker carefully hidden in the thick sole of her work boots and location tracking on her dad's phone, he didn't have to worry about either of them showing up at home unexpectedly. He was free to invade her space, touching her clothes and imagining her wearing outfits for him, laying in her bed and picturing her there with him. He was fully hooked and didn't want anything getting in his way. He'd be damned before he let another man take her away from him.

Stahl quickly began manipulating her environment to get what he wanted, jealousy getting the better of him. The little things bothered him the most. Firefighters talking to her and making her laugh, male partners on her ambulance, and any other man that got a little too close for Stahl's comfort when he was watching her.

All of this, and she had no idea he was there in the background every step of the way. She didn't have that feeling of being watched. There was no presence in every room she went into, or an inkling that she was being followed down the street. Stahl was too careful for that, so he intervened in invisible ways.

She often stops at a convenience store near the EMS station to pick up snacks and drinks, and it was clear one of the clerks had taken a liking to her. Most of the time she'd be in and out in less than five minutes, sometimes by herself and others with her partner. Either way, Stahl didn't like the way this young man looked at her.

"Getting the usual again, I see." She places the energy drink and peanut M&Ms on the counter, pulling out her credit card to pay as her trainee waits by the door, flipping through a magazine and sipping his own energy drink.

"Any small treat on a busy day is worth it. Probably shouldn't be drinking this crap, though."

The clerk takes the opportunity to shoot his shot with her, and clears his throat before making a move, "I know you come in here all the time and that you're really busy, but if you want to let off some steam, there's some pretty good parties in Flatbush on weekends. Let me know if you ever feel like hanging out. Don't bring the ambulance, though." Seeing that cute little laugh through the windows is enough to make Stahl furious.

To rectify the situation, he takes out his phone and places a fake 911 call for an old woman having chest pain in the vicinity of the convenience store, knowing the call will almost certainly be sent to her unit. He smiles to himself when he sees her talking into the radio. Once she comes outside again, he can finally hear that sweet voice.

"10-4, ALS unit responding," she tells the dispatcher. "Come on, Probie. Let's see how you do with this one."

Stahl watches as she hops in the back of the ambulance while the trainee rides up front with her partner, flipping on the lights and siren before pulling away from the curb. He follows far behind, not worried about losing them since he already knows where they're headed. It's too bad he can't follow her around for longer today. After all, there's still a real investigation to work on and he has to meet with his asset. He wants to hate her father to the core, but this angel was created by the man he so desperately wants out of the picture and he has to be somewhat thankful for her existence.

Following another attempt of getting her father to wear a wire to collect a scrap of indictable evidence, Stahl waits in his car to listen in on the conversation while scrolling through all his pictures and videos of her. He touches the screen in an attempt to stroke her soft skin, his imagination working on overdrive to think of what it would be like to touch her. It would be so easy for him to sneak into her room later while she's sleeping and play with the loose strands of hair splayed across the pillow or sweep his fingers over those strong legs she keeps hiding from him under her cargo pants. But no, he wants her to want him first. He needs to hear her say it.

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 1

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter summary: When your biological family fails you fate sends another one your way

You could still remember the day you met Maria. She was a year or so older than you. You'd been walking your dog and she'd been riding her bike. Unfortunately your dog had a severe aversion to bikes due to an accident with your brother when he was still a puppy so when he saw her coming towards him he'd cowered down jumping into the bushes and nearly pulled you face down. Maria had skidded to a stop and hopped off to come help you to your feet. She introduced herself and you did the same. When you mentioned you had just moved in down the block with your brother and dad she'd smiled and told you that anytime you wanted to hang out you were welcome at her home.

You'd never known a family like Maria's. Her parents were amazing. They were kind and welcoming and never missed an opportunity to lend a hand to anyone in need. When your dad wouldn't come home until late there was always a warm meal for you and your brother then when your brother fell in with a crowd that was less than savory to say the least and it eventually got to a point you were afraid to go home half the time they let you stay with them. Somewhere along the way you and Maria had bypassed friends and landed solidly into being more sisters than anything.

When you were sixteen your brother and father decided they wanted to move to Ohio. You were settled in New York. You had decent grades at school, you had friends and you had dreams for a future that involved so much more than bailing a drug addicted brother out of jail or constantly having to parent your father. When you ended up at her house crying because you didn't want to lose what life you'd managed to build her parents had taken it upon themselves to ask your father if you could just stay with them. You were two months shy of turning seventeen and only had one year of highschool to complete. If you kept up your grades you would get a full scholarship to any college.

You hadn't really been surprised when your father's words had been "I don't really give a shit. Less I got to worry about" one trip to the courthouse later Maria's parents were officially your legal guardians until you turned eighteen.

You ended up graduating towards the top of your class and getting a full scholarship. You chose to go into emergency medicine with being a paramedic as your goal and once again Maria and her family were there to fully support you.

The day you were hired on by the FDNY at a station house Maria and a few of your mutual friends wanted to get together to celebrate. When you reminded them that it also meant you starting to work anywhere from twelve to twenty four hour shifts they decided a lunch would be more appropriate than a night out.

The five of you were walking through the park after leaving the small cafe and you heard the absolute worst guitar playing and singing you'd ever heard. You glanced up to see a guy sitting under a tree a few feet from your group. He was good looking, nice built and the hair cut screamed military. Maria cut her eyes at you and winked before calling out "Hey buddy you know anything else? because we're sick of hearing you butcher this one"

When he glanced up you saw the look in Maria's eyes and knew she was hooked even as a blush spread across the guy's face. He took all of you giggling in stride you had to hand it to him because the next words out his mouth as his eyes locked onto Maria was "I don't do requests so if you want one it's gonna cost you"

Three months later Maria came to you with the news that not only was she pregnant but Frank had also proposed to her. The day they got married you stood at Maria's side as her maid of honor while she recited her vows and wiped a few tears from your eyes when the preacher announced them as husband and wife.

At the reception after he had his first dance with Maria Frank had walked over to you with a hand out "C'mon Y/N. You're basically her sister meaning now you're mine so let me push you around the dance floor one time" you took his hand with a smile "I'd love to Frankie"

When Frank and Maria went house hunting it was around the same time you were apartment hunting and they ended up buying a place not far from you. You had a feeling it was because Frank knew no matter what you would drop anything to get to Maria's side should she need you. Just as fast as Maria had claimed you when you were kids Frank claimed you now. It was an amazing feeling to have family that actually loved you and wanted you around even if you joked at times that Frank had just inherited Maria's love for taking in strays when he married her.

@weallhaveadestiny

[lgcderabassi]

Placement DRDO LGC College

Congrats to Mr. Akash Maurya on his impressive placement at DRDO. Your success inspires us all.

#placement #placements #placementdrive

[esmeralda-romero]

[cis-woman and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [ESMERALDA ROMERO]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [SOFIA CARSON]. You must be the [THIRTY-ONE] year old [PEDIATRICS RESIDENT]. Word is you’re [ENERGETIC] but can also be a bit [BULL-HEADED] and your favorite song is [SATURN BY SZA]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. I’m sure you’ll love it! 

BASIC INFO

* full name:  Esmeralda Carolina Romero

* pronouns & gender: she/her, cis woman

* birthday & birthplace:  August 1st, 1993; Orlando, FL

* Big Three: Leo sun, Capricorn moon, Cancer rising

* location: Seabrook Quarter

* sexuality: bisexual

* relationship status: single

* occupation: Pediatrics Resident

* time in aurora bay: 13 years

* face claim: Sofia Carson

tw: hospitalization, drowning

DETAILS

* She prefers to go by Esmeralda and will correct you if you try calling her anything but that. (However, she’s known as the Commander of Tiny Humans or ‘Capitan’)

* Around the kiddos she’s treating, many would say she’s like a big kid. She easily goes into a mode where the kiddos can understand what’s being said and done so they’re less scared. (Think Arizona from Grey’s Anatomy)

* She’s in her final year of her pediatrics residency and for once she’s starting to feel a little bit more financial freedom. While sure, the scholarships helped ease a lot of it up due to growing up low-income, the burden of some student loans have also began to chip away.

* Her favorite foods are arepas con queso, a staple in her family, as well as kimchi-jigae, and all types of pasta.

TL;DR:

Esmeralda is a 30-year-old going on 31 pediatrics resident at Aurora Bay Hospital. She was raised by a single father who's a paramedic after her mom developed severe postpartum depression and walked out on her father when Esmeralda was only a few months old. She's a walking paradox, professionally an extrovert who loves to make people laugh. Outside of work, she's a bit socially awkward and introverted. However, she's got a lust for adventure. She loves going to the gym, going on long jogs and hikes around the AB area. Sure, she might seem a bit closed off to the world, but with being surrounded by little ones teetering on life and death, she doesn't want to take her life for granted.

Her Story

Esmeralda Romero grew up in Orlando, Florida to a single father, as her mother walked out on their family before she could even walk. Her father was a paramedic who worked long hours to put food on the table and keep a roof over her head, so Esmeralda often spent time with the neighbors next door and their kids who were around her age. She wasn’t much of a fuss as she proved herself to be very self-sufficient, always doing her homework and her chores. She’d read her dad’s medical textbooks just for fun and became fascinated with the human body pretty quickly. She was eager to learn more and so, during the summer, her father would have her at work with him at times and from then on, she knew the medical field was for her.

It solidified more during her teen years as she babysat the neighborhood kids and worked at the local summer camp to help save up for college. Her CPR certification breezed by to where the proctors were often impressed by her skill and how efficiently she worked. The summer before heading off to college put her skills to the test when one of her neighbors had fallen into a pool and was unresponsive after being pulled out. Esmeralda instantly sprang into action performing CPR, but also realized…the child had a heart murmur which made it even more riskier. While the neighbor narrowly survived, she knew she could make a difference in her field and once she was off to move cross country for school, she was determined to make that happen.

UCSD. That was her school of choice. Full ride and she achieved it like breathing. Narrowly. She had nearly collapsed due to burnout and ironically enough, wound up in the hospital due to her lack of sleep. From there, she asked questions, curious about the medical world around her while being a patient herself. Once she had recuperated, she knew that this is where she wanted to be. However, she'd have to work twice as hard to get where she wanted to go compared to the richer counterparts she'd be up against. Balance, was what she had to learn over time.

Fast forward nearly a decade and a half, Esmeralda’s worked relentlessly in the medical field, now a third year pediatrics resident. Her colleagues jokingly call her “Capitán” or “The Commander of Tiny Humans” because of her dedication to the kiddos, but also her hard work and perseverance towards helping them in anyway that she can. Though she’s not the most socially out there, her patients and colleagues help her keep up with the times, so nothing tends to really pass her by.

Connections:

Colleagues: Her people, the ones who understand her language.

Friends: The people who ground her the most.

Gym Buddies: Who else will help motivate one another, am I right?

Exes (of any gender): The ones that got away...or did she get away?

Neighbors: Surprisingly, she's pretty cool with her neighbors, but who knows maybe one secretly hates her, we never know.

FWB: A girl's gotta let off steam somehow?

@aurorabayaesthetic

[luminarot]

the park takes who it takes - but what happens to those left behind?

wesley never wanted to be the sacrificial lamb. he wanted to convince his mom to leave, but when she wouldn't, he resigned himself to protecting his family any way that he could - and at any cost. whenever henry crane started getting violent, wesley would try to draw attention away from his mom and brother; stepping directly in the line of fire, speaking up when he should've been silent, taking beatings for them so that they had a chance to hide away. this made henry hate him even more, seeing wesley as defiant and ungrateful. then again, it never took very much to make him mad.

in wesley's canon verse, the violence eventually leads to him being murdered by his father at twenty-one; in this verse, however, wesley doesn't make it that far. instead, nineteen year old wesley takes a trip to the amusement park with his brother, and he never comes home.

his death was, of course, just one of many tragic accidents caused by park negligence and poor safety procedures. henry, however, very much believed that wesley deserved it, and he wasn't shy about saying it to the media. he also lashed out at jacob ( and wesley, though he wasn't there to hear it anymore ) for wasting "his" money and slacking off when they could've been working - nevermind the fact that it was money wesley had saved up, or that he'd made sure to do all the chores before they left that morning.

jacob is devastated by the whole thing, drowning in his grief and blaming himself for the way wesley died. he doesn't know for sure that the seatbelt would've held if they were both strapped in like they were supposed to be, but he still feels like he delivered his brother to his death by leaving so abruptly, leaving space for wesley to fall through. the whole thing is such a shock that he hardly knows how to cope with it. and the more he struggles, the angrier his dad gets, because henry always hated any sign of weakness. as far as the patriarch of the family is concerned, everyone is better off without wesley; jacob should just get over it.

meanwhile, wesley's mother has shut down completely, burying the last fleeting glimpses of a person alongside her oldest son. This, too, angers her husband, who sees her disassociation and silence as a burden; it's an embarrassment, and an overreaction, another case of dramatics when there's no one around to watch the scene.

two years pass this way - and then one night, all that rage finally reaches a breaking point. it was always going to, but this time, wesley isn't there to take the blows; this time, henry beats his wife until she stops breathing. jacob runs off in the chaos to get help, but by the time paramedics arrive on scene, elizabeth crane is long gone. she's buried in a small plot next to her son in the back of the cemetery, far away from the more lavish headstones and mausoleums that would later make a venue for halloween parties.

henry crane is sentenced to life in prison, where he rots without remorse for his actions. jacob bounces around in the foster care system until he gets a scholarship and uses it as an opportunity to get the hell out of asphodel heights - and, eventually, to make a better life for himself far away from all that pain.

but of course, wesley doesn't know about any of this for a long time. although he often worries about his mom and brother, he doesn't have a way of knowing what's going on outside the park until chester and violetta start visiting - but even then, he won't ask them any favors. if the news ever reaches him, it's either due to the living's insistence ( insisting on wanting to help him ) , or someone who knows casually lets it slip into conversation. either way, he'll be devastated.

[karin848]

Tackled: Head Over Heels

Read on Ao3

Summary: Wally Clark had never met anyone like Maddie Nears

Maddie Nears was different from any girl Wally had ever met before.

Wally Clark had met plenty of girls before, of course, but there was just something about Maddie that caught his attention right away. No, it wasn’t just because she was good-looking (okay, that might have been a slight factor) but because she was so sure of herself. She knew who she wanted to be and she wasn’t afraid to be that person.

Not like Wally.

Wally Clark was always who other people wanted him to be. His mother wanted him to be a football star, his father wanted him to be strong, his classmates and teachers wanted him to be a leader - a dumb jock - a bully - a protector - a star.

His coach had wanted him to head to the bench and rest his knee.

Wally had never thought about the person he wanted to be until he got to know Maddie Nears. From the moment she sat down and joined Mr. Martin’s support group, she was interesting. None of the other ghosts at Split River had ever not known how they got there. Wally remembers practically all the lights and smells on that field the night the bones in his neck got rearranged by the opposing team’s tackle. He told Maddie there were things he wished he could forget. He wasn’t lying.

Ok, that was also the conversation where he told her he could help fill her holes, so … not his best moment. He had been way more smooth when he was hitting on Debbie Gibson during their Junior year. He was just trying to be suave, friendly - introduce himself to the new dead girl. He was trying to be a welcoming spirit for this struggling young lady ghost! Ok, it didn’t hurt that she was cute. Like, really cute. But of course he had to go and stick his foot in his mouth with the ‘holes’ comment. At least she had heard of him before!

Wally will admit, It was a little alarming when Maddie barged into the gym and asked - well, demanded really - for him to threaten some living kids that she thought had something to do with her death. Even though he’s not actually able to do that. Everyone has to learn the ropes when they first get here. Wally wished he could’ve told her how pointless it was to try to escape the school grounds, but he figured she’d realize it eventually. She just needed to get it all out of her system first.

Wally remembers the first time he tried walking off the field to follow his parents, the police officers, and all the medical personnel to the hospital, even though they declared him DOA as soon as the paramedics arrived. He just appeared right back at that five yard line, watching his parents leave again, ignoring him as he tried to yell out that he was fine.

He quickly found out just how not fine he was.

He was happy to see Maddie find her way back to the group, even if her memorial - sorry, her vigil , as Charley had said - interrupts their session, along with the arrival of Maddie’s mom. If Wally understands anything, it’s complicated feelings about your mother.

The ex-boyfriend turns out to not be so great, which sucks because Maddie is definitely too cool to have some lame-ass guy cheat on her with a cheerleader. Wally gets the temptation of cheerleaders of course (Debbie Gibson, remember?) but - cheating on your girlfriend? That wastoid really threw away something good. Wally’s glad she seems to be dealing with it alright. That’s another great thing about Maddie Nears - she never lets the world keep her down. She’s a fighter through and through.

Wally wishes he had the same fight in him that Maddie does. He could’ve fought against his mom when she told him to get back in the game. Hell, he could’ve fought against both his parents when they wanted him to try for a sports scholarship instead of…Well, anything else. He could’ve fought to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

But the afterlife isn’t always about overthinking your past mistakes and wondering anxiously if you really squandered the precious few years you had on earth by not doing anything that you really wanted to do, and now you’re stuck as a ghost in a snapshot of the life you never wanted but you can’t quite move on to whatever is supposed to come next. So, you wait. And you wait some more. And now forty years have gone by and Wally has found his stride along with Rhonda and Charley. They’ve become something as close to friends as Wally can call themselves. Occasionally, they find themselves a little more than friends. Even if Rhonda would never ever admit she actually liked hanging around Charley and him.

There are moments when Wally is actually happy to be at Split River with Rhonda and Charley, and now Maddie. Even when Charley is teasing him about being a beef-head and a girl on the swim team almost becomes a new member of the Split River ghostly student body. That was certainly a tense moment. Wally doesn’t even want to think about how terrible it would be to die wearing those school swim uniforms, eugh . Being in his sweats is bad enough. But hey, at least he has his jacket.

There are moments that are great, too. Moments where Wally gets to break things and smash school property and let out all the pain he’s feeling inside on water coolers and whatever he can hit with the golf cart. He loves getting to show Maddie how to play water cooler bowling. A strike on her first try, too! Spending that Field Day with Madison Nears was the highlight of his afterlife so far. The wind in his hair, her laughter - well, her yelling - in his ears, nothing has ever been that uplifting. He thinks maybe being dead could be a good thing if it means getting to spend so much time with her.

Picking a movie to watch together (even if no one else can be trusted to pick the right one) is a fun bonding experience. Maddie’s first movie night should be good. He, Rhonda, and Charley get to tell Maddie a little bit about the other ghosts of Split River High. What little they actually know about Dawn, Mina, the band kids, and Yuri (though no one really knows much about Yuri).

There are upsetting moments, like finding out talking to the living is actually possible, and Maddie and Charley were just going to hide it from everyone. Rude! Mostly though, he’s a little flabbergasted. Nothing like this has ever happened before, as far as he knows. Rhonda wants him to be pissed, but mostly he’s just…shocked, and feeling pretty betrayed by Charley (who’s been his friend for years at this point) and Maddie (who he really thought was starting to trust him). He’s not shocked enough to not be embarrassed when Rhonda teases him about his (apparently more obvious than he was hoping it was) blossoming crush on Maddie. Though when he nervously glances over to check what Maddie’s reaction to that was, he finds she’s already run off, leaving Rhonda and him to interrogate Charley.

He can’t help but follow this Simon kid around for a little while. Why him? Why can he only see Maddie? How close were they in life, to have this kind of connection now, the kind that transcends even her death. He can’t help but feel jealous. Jealous of their connection, but also jealous of Maddie. Maddie still has her best friend. Someone to talk to that knew her when she was alive. Wally misses his friends. He wishes he had a support system the way Maddie kind of does with Simon.

But Wally also worries about what this connection to the living world means for Maddie’s ability to eventually cross over. Mr. Martin is always going off about “moving on” and severing the ties that bond us to the living world or whatever. If Maddie keeps holding onto this mystery of her death, and her connection to this Simon guy, or even to the cheating ex-boyfriend, does that mean she’ll never be able to accept that she’s a bonafide ghostly resident of Split River High - permanently? Solving her murder still won’t change that. It didn’t provide much closure for Rhonda when her guidance counselor went to jail. He doesn’t want Maddie to be stuck like that.

There are some bittersweet moments too, of course. Homecoming is around the corner before he knows what hit him. Just like every year, he throws himself into training and preparations. Decorations have to look great, he has to be in top physical condition, he can’t let his mom down (...again). He tries not to think too deeply about his anniversary. He focuses on painting banners and acquiring refreshments. Everything has to be perfect.

He’s practicing outside on the field later when he sees Maddie looking kind of depressed at the base of the goal post, so he wanders over and tries to ask how it went with her mom. She’s still not that interested in talking about herself and her life before all this. He shares the story of his death, the Homecoming game that ended up being his last, the five yard line, the sound of his neck snapping, and the final realization of “lights out.” He’s not sure if it did anything to help, but it’s nice to share. Nice to talk it out with someone new, besides the ghosts in the group who have heard the story over and over again for years now.

Later, during the half-time intermission, Maddie shares the story behind why she dislikes hotdogs so much, and he confesses for the first time to…anyone…that he’s not actually a huge fan of football. Maddie encourages him to do whatever the hell he wants now that he doesn’t have to do what his mom wants him to do. Wally’s not even sure he knows what the hell he wants to be. But one thing he knows for sure, is that he wants to be someone who makes Maddie proud. Someone who can make himself proud. He tries to get her to understand that she’s not coming back, so the hope that she thinks might be helping her mom in the short-term won’t actually be a solution forever. He hopes whatever happens to her mom doesn’t end up making Maddie lose her spirit.

Talking to Maddie is nice. He feels a connection with her as they share stories of their mothers. It’s hard, but he tries, a little. To take her advice about not always doing what his mom expects of him. Taking off his jersey is like shedding the expectations that have been covering him for a time after death twice as long as the years he spent on Earth as one of the living.

“You can rest when you’re dead.”

Those words haut him as much as he continues to haunt the Wally Clark Memorial Field.

“Make me proud.”

For the first time since he’s enrolled in Split River, he spends time during the Homecoming football game as just a spectator, not a player. He wonders briefly what his life would’ve been like to be one of the people here on the stadium benches, rather than a kid risking everything to be out on that field. The kid that lost everything out on that field.

Taking off his jersey and just sitting in the stadium seat next to his mom, it feels a little like freedom .

He doesn’t actually remember if the Dev-if the Bandit’s-won the Homecoming game or not. For the first time ever, he…doesn’t think he cares. Maybe it’s time to stop holding onto the disappointment he always feared his mom might have had. Maybe it’s time for him to start thinking about really trying to move on. He feels great, like a huge weight has been lifted off his chest. He needs to find Maddie right now and thank her.

He ends up saying a bit more than just “thank you,” but hey - she said yes! With a kick in his step - literally - he skips off back towards the benches to finish watching the game with his mom. Hesitantly, he starts to share with her stories of what he’s been up to. He tells his mom about Maddie, says he would’ve liked them to meet, no matter how impossible that is. He tells her to send dad his love, and he hopes she gets home safe. He thanks her for coming again this year.

Wally sighs deeply, and for the first time during a Homecoming game, looks forward to what will come after.